Week 6 - Snow joke this weather

PR guru in Yeo Valley-stylie

After last week's debacle, I am feeling enboldened that nothing can stop me now, no weather elements are going to hold me back, so I plan a route through the countryside to Edenbridge to see my very good friend Karen, who is very kindly helping me with the PR campaign for FUNdamentally Gospel, we're on the hunt for a celebrity patron - let me know if you know one! So I wake up at 7am, it's -10 and whilst the road outside isn't covered with snow, I'm feeling the country lanes my route takes me on could be treacherous, the health and safety officer at Blandford Road puts his foot down and forbids me to do it. Boo! So it's on the train I go, thanks for the great advice Karen, and the lovely carrot soup Pearce - yum! I WILL be back & next time I'll attempt it on the bike.



So.....anyway Sunday is looking a lot better weather-wise and Ed's up for a scoot around for a couple of hours so we decide to do a speedy one to London along the Thames pathway, well speedy for me, slow slow slow for Ed at my pace. I love this route, it was one of the first ones I ever did, it follows the Thames from Greenwich right up to London Bridge and onto Richmond if you want to go that far. I love looking at all the bits of London that I didn't know existed on the river. I've done this route with my friend Nighean when we first got into cycling and it was so nice, pootling along, having a nosey and catching up on the week's gossip.

Today I have forgotten, I'm with a boy, we are training, this is not a time to chat......or pootle! So by the time we get to London Bridge, Ed needs to be home, and he's done with all the stopping and starting that the Thames Pathway (conveniently in my eyes) provides. I am getting the feeling that Ed is not an Urban cyclist at the weekends and is missing our beloved(!) country undulations. So we decide to ride back on the roads, "they'll be hills" he says - I've lived in South East London for nearly 20 years, I know the hills, I've done a couple, how bad can it be. Ladies and gentleman, let me introduce you to Sydenham Hill, one I had forgotten about, but Ed had not. Well I made it, I can't say I "tore" up it Cavendish stylie but I'm pretty sure I would have had to get off and walk a couple of months ago, so I'm pleased with that. I am sensing that Ed is going to get a bit fed up of waiting for me at the top of each hill we attempt, and I can't say his grinning face smiling down at me, makes me feel great, but I'll get there. We are the cycling version of the Hare and the Tortoise!

Another 20 miles or so in the bag - next week I'm upping to 30 if I can, so all's good.